Will the New Spiderman Be Any Good?

Still posting desert photos.  Someone get me out of this rut.  I'm living in the past.  The past filled with streams of whiskey and vagrant birds and golf courses in the middle of the desert.

Prairie Falcon, Furnace Creek Ranch, CA.

Canada Goose, with his whole future ahead of him.  Apollo Park.

Squirrelkind

It's a good thing that trips to the desert give a man many photos to keep and have and cherish forever.  Because when the dark times come, like right now, and there's nothing to take photos of, a man can always go back to his stockpile of epic pics.  

Is this even a bird?  One of many Northern Parulas seen in California this spring.  This one was at a place called Mesquite Spring, Near Scotty's Castle in Death Valley.

Ok, I actually took this one at work today.  Western Bluebirds are among the most fearsome and deadly creatures known to squirrelkind.  Rose Hills Cemetery.

Work Is Easy

Getting back to the grind wasn't that much different than chasing vagrants around the desert.  Less whiskey.

Mallard babies at Legg Lake.  

A Tree Swallow busy at work making baby Tree Swallows.  Leg Lake.

The End Of An Extravaganza

Well, I had no internet capabilities last night from Jawbone Canyon, or from atop Rand Mountain, where I tried to TPAD last night.  So tonight, I bring you... 4PAD.  Double the fun packed into a single entry.  You're welcome.  Here's what I would have written last night, had I been able:


Greetings TPADers.  I am writing you from atop beautiful Rand Mountain (Randsburg, CA).  We are trying to break a beer bottle by throwing rocks at it, but so far nobody can hit it.  I didn't see much worth mentioning today, but I did run into a continuing Hooded Warbler in Ridgecrest CA.


And here are the photos I would have chosen:

Lovely Hooded Warbler at Ridgecrest, CA.

Some common birds, getting it on.  Apollo Park.

As for today, Butterbredt was again a disappointment.  No vagrants at all.  We did see two good birds at California City though:

American Bittern is a really good bird for California City.  We saw one.

Tom (of Tom and Liga) found us this drab little female American Redstart.  California City.

Well, the Desert Extravaganza is finally over and I have to go back to work early in the morning.  There's so much that happened during this "Whiskey. Vagrants." trip that I wouldn't even know where to begin.  It was fun.  Oh yeah, and Justyn finally hit the bottle.

Knee, Pt. Two

Here we go again.  395 south.  Headed to Butterbredt.  Brutal day, but not without its rewards:

Indigo Bunting, Furnace Creek Ranch.

Ovenbird, Stovepipe, Death Valley.

Steer With Knee

Well, I'm TPADing and driving.  A first.  Very Extreme.

Pacslope nest.  Photo by my boss Talia Rothlsesflishbergerstein.

Allen's Hummer pooping an egg over the side.  Rose Hills.

TAMDWDBE Is Upon Me

After work tomorrow I will embark on yet another epic journey to the deserts of California.  The Amazing Memorial Day Weekend Desert Birding Extravaganza is upon me.  Many miles will be driven and many birds will be seen.  I will check back in tomorrow somewhere from the wastelands of our Golden State.  Here's some regular stuff from around here:

Acorn Woodpecker at Rose Hills, loving the fan palms.

Red-whiskered Bulbul, loving the nursery.

Retro Forever

Again, I didn't take photos today. No good reason.  Good thing I always have retro photos.  Forever.

Black-chinned Hummingbird.  Niland, CA.

Risso's Dolphin. San Diego, CA.

American Hawks

It wasn't a great day for the sport of birding.  At least not at the Puente Hills Landfill, where I spent my workday beside a steady stream of garbage trucks and big rigs hauling their waste up a big hill.  It was the worst place I've worked yet.  I didn't take any photos.  Here are some from the last two days:

Orange-crowned Warbler vs. Mothman.  OCWA wins.  Point Loma, CA.

Red-tailed Hawk at the cemetery.  Paying his respects to a fallen homie.  He looks like a true American too.  A moment after this photo, the bird laid down on his belly and spread his wings out on the ground.  It was weird.  

A Day At The Cemetary

I waited too long to TPAD.  Typically, I am now tired and ready to PTFO.  I know you were all bummed to not see a photo of the Baltimore Oriole yesterday so here's that:

Baltimore Oriole, Point Loma CA.

This  morning at work I got my best yet Blue Grosbeak shot.  Not much else happened after that, aside from finding bird nests. 

Blue Grosbeak.  Rose Hills Cemetery.

Minorly Embarrassing

Well, we all made it through in one piece, with only a few minor embarrassing incidents.  The birding on dry land this morning was much better than on the open ocean yesterday.  I got one state bird (LBHE) and saw two rare birds.  At the river, I finally went to see the Little Blue Herons.  I should have done this ages ago, but have been too lazy for the most part.  Then we all went out to the cemetery at Fort Rosencrans where a few East coast birders had just found a Tennessee Warbler and Northern Parula.  We tanked on the Tennessee, but most of us got the Parula (including me).  After that, We found a Baltimore Oriole cruising the Eucalyptus.  Totally Chill.

A dark one and a light one.  Very nice.

This is the 4th Northern Parula I've seen in my short life.

Plectrum Is A Moronic Word

I need to use bigger words when I blog.  It is required of me that I utilize a more diverse vocabulary whilst disseminating my musings upon the Information Superhighway.  Sounds like horseshit to me.  The Pelagic Extravaganza today was a massive failure.  The Best things I saw were these:

South-polar Skua.  This monster bird gave a good ten minute show, and was by far the best bird of the day.

Red Phalaropes do not look like this.  Because these are Red-necked Phalaropes, which any birder worth his weight in whiskey would know.  Even from a great distance, from a moving ship.

Even though the birds were few and far between, good times and good company were enjoyed by all.  Everything's fine, nothing is effed here dude.

MGADPE2012

I'm out the door to meet up with Felonious and Company for the Most Glorious and Dreadful Pelagic Extravaganza of 2012.  This will get messy.  I didn't take anything usable today, so here are some photos that got lost in the shuffle over the lat week.

Greater Scaup at Desert Center, CA.  A little out of place...

This is a Los Angeles Parrot.  Sources close to Kimball G. tell me that it is a hybrid Red-crowned x Lilac-crowned Parrot.  Pretty.

Lack Of Enthusiasm

I haven't been taking a ton of photos the last few days.  I haven't been birding much outside of work.  There are still good numbers of migrants around.  I am very much excite for this weekend's pelagic.  I will be Epique.  I saw these two birds today:

California Thrasher, Puente Hills, CA.

Cooper's Hawk, Puente Hills, CA.

Babies Sometimes Fall

Every spring I get phone calls from friends and loved ones asking me what they should do with some baby birds that they found sitting around on the ground.  I pretty much never know what to tell these people.  When I inform them that I cannot help these pitifully doomed baby birds, they are baffled.  I am, after all, a bird expert.  How could I possibly not know what to do?  Anyway, today I received such a call from my little sister, KK.  I don't usually feature photographs by other artists, but here is what she was calling me about today:

These poor guys fell out of their nest today.  I'm sure they are doomed, and had no good advice for my sister.  I don't even know what species these things are.

I spend all day at work putting these signs up in order to prevent mishaps like what you see above.  This Western Bluebird appreciates the effort at least.

Bloggin' Aint Easy But It's Necessary

My internet problems continue to haunt me.  I ended up paying these bastards $2.49 so that I can keep putting up photos, but they say I have to pay this ridiculous amount every single month.  This is cray.  I do not know what to do.  I am in need of an internet genius to explain these things to me.  Well, here are some photos of birds to calm your nerves, and mine:

Art: The chain represents the oppression that Wilson's Warblers endured under the Bush Regime.

A gangly, youthful Northern Mockingbird gets a drink at a place called Cattlecall Park or something.

The Salton Sea Can Kill A Man

The internet has just informed me that I have to pay them in order to store these beautiful photos.  I call bullshit.  Does anyone know a way around this?  I don't see how they can give me free Picasa for 8 months and then BAM!  Nothing.  


Also, I want to apologize for yesterday.  I stole a TPAD issue from you all, so I will now pay it back.  The Salton Sea literally killed me.  I was unable to drive, stand, or even speak when I finally made it home.  Sultry reported that I was actually snoring within 30 seconds of walking through the door.  Which is amazing to me.  


Howard Stern is the new judge on America's Got Talent.  I suggest you watch him.  it might be good.  


I'm hungry and still haven't eaten dinner.  Here are some lowlights from the Salton Sea Extravaganza.

White-winged Dove in some nice light.

Common Ground-dove.

Abert's Towhee.

Gull-billed Terns.

Under The Calipatria Sky

I am at Finney Lake campground with MB, Tristan, and J-Stahl.  We will bird our asses off tomorrow around the Salton Sea.  The mega rare birds we will see is mind-bottling.  I wish you good night.

Over heated Northern Rough-winged Swallow at work today.  Duck Farm.

Least Bell's Vireo at Sycamore Canyon, Whittier, CA.  Another TPAD first.

Galileo Figaro

I birded hard at Galileo this afternoon after work.  The entire place was covered in Wilson's Warblers.  Some other people saw a bunch of vagrants there in the morning but not me.  Oh well, you know what they say.  Life Is Pain.

One of several Townsend's Solitaires at Galileo.  Apparently it was worshipping something.  Or dancing.

Hermit Warbler, amid the hundreds of Wilson's.

Romo WEVI

I'm fading fast.  This happened last night:

Sergio Romo, beardstroking.  Last night at the horrible game.

  This happened today:

This is a White-eyed Vireo in El Segundo.  State Bird.  He was staring me down so hard while he ate that bug.

Good Night!

Second SOSA

I got a call at work today from E squared.  Being the huge pro that he is, he had found a Solitary Sandpiper at Duck Farm during work.  I cruised over and got right to work.  This was only the second SOSA I've ever seen, so I guess I owe E squared pretty big now.  Also, I saw this above Rowland Heights:

Hammond's Flycatcher.  This bird ate at least 4 pounds of flies while I was there.  

Elias's Solitary. Duck Farm.

Feeling Hella Good About Myself

It was a pretty nice day up in the Rowland Heights hills.  I saw a bunch more Grasshopper Sparrows and obtained much better shots of them.  This makes me feel hella good about myself.  I also saw other stuff and made hella scrill.  Not a bad Tuesday.  I believe the Giants beat the Dodgers tonight, and I'm planning on going to the game tomorrow night, so things are looking up.  Shit is chill.

Grasshopper, hecka close up.  I was very disappointed in my last grasshopper shots, so I was stoked to score this one.

LONGHORN!

Flux Capacitor

Nothing good happened today.  Come back in time with me.  Here's me living in the past (yesterday).

When Threatened, hide behind a dead Tilapia.  Snowy Plover, Salton Sea.

I believe Dunlin is a TPAD first.  Also the Salton Sea.